Volitional
by A-B-D
Summary: Lake-side territory, no mention of characters in current WARRIORS books. Complete summary in Author's profile.
1. PROLOGUE

**SEASON**: Newleaf.  
**DAY**: Twenty-five.  
**TIME OF DAY**: The sun has yet to rise.  
**HOURS UNTIL DREAM**: Twenty four.  
**CURRENT LOCATION**: Shadowclan territory, near the border to Riverclan.

"Leave me at once, Breeze-eye. Pull back and lead the kits, queens and elders to safety," a rough voice commanded the she-cat her order, but the tabby did not budge from her spot.

"I will not leave you here alone to face Stonestar, this is a foolish move," she hissed back. "I will come with you to fight her and when we have rid her of our fur I will go back and _make sure_ that the rest of the Clan is safe. You cannot face her alone."

"Why do you refuse me? Go now, Breeze-eye, I can take care of myself." And as if to prove this false, a cough shuddered from the throat of the tom, so hard that he had to duck his head to keep from spitting the blood onto his companion.

The sun had yet to rise, and already her leader was this sick and tired. She had not seen him in such a state since his last disappearance, on in which he came back with two lives less than he had left with. She knew that something was happening to him, something that the medicine cat could not stop, something that Starclan could do nothing about. How could she convince him that this battle against the other leader was a mouse-brained decision? Stonestar would take whatever remaining lives that he had from him in seconds, and then she would claim rights to their territory or kill every last Shadowclanner to retrieve it anyway.

"Fox-dung, where is that blasted Juniperfrost when you need her?" the Shadowclanner spat beneath her breath, jerking back when she noticed that the tom was rising again. "You're coming back to camp with me, I will not allow you to fight like this. If you insist on someone confronting Stonestar, let me go. I will defend Shadowclan with my life, but I refuse to let you risk yours. You are the Clan's leader, Pinestar. You need to live."

"And what kind of leader am I if I allow my deputy to be killed for…" another cough shook him, nothing came up this time, "a foolish reason like me being a little unhealthy." He wore a tight frown.

"Your humor evades me," bluntly put, her words crawled from her throat accompanying a muted hiss. Turning her head from her stubborn leader, the she-cat could hardly contain the slight tremor of her jaw. "Go back to camp, Pinestar. I will fight for you, for the Clan. I will die."

"And what will that accomplish, you silly kit? Then she will just come here anywhere, that arrogant she-cat she is. She will not stop until I am dead and this land is hers. You go back to camp, you keep them safe. If she comes, kill her. Kill her first, ignore any warriors. Just… keep the Clan safe when I am gone."

Breeze-eye spat on the ground, right in front of her leader, an obvious disrespect. She was already disrespecting his wishes, why not go further? Besides, she had no intention on letting his silly speech get to her. This monologue he spoke was useless, it did not move her. Instead, she turned her head from left to right, keeping an eye out for the girl that she desperately needed to scout out. Juniperfrost had a way with words, better than her coarse speeches. The deputy could not inspire, but the medicine cat could demand. Certainly her strong words would compel Pinestar to return to camp.

Jerking her head back and forth, the dark she-cat began to shout out for the one she was seeking, "Juniperfrost! Juniperfrost—get your mangy tail out here!"

"Wha—what are you doing? _Stop_ that racket," the accompanying tom spat at her, claws unsheathing in barely concealed anger. "I don't need Juniperfrost, she doesn't know what's wrong with me. _Starclan _doesn't know what's wrong—"

"_Starclan_ does not speak of cures for fools," smooth, foreign, the accented tongue of the mysterious Juniperfrost broke in the middle of Pinestar's speech. "You will return to camp, your mate and kittens are running amuck crying for you. No one can settle down with that crying around."

From the shadows of the sparse pines came the owner of that voice, her tortoiseshell coat blending among the darkness that surrounded her. While the sun had not yet risen, there was still a dim illumination of pale blue, and shining from that light came her unusual bi-colored eyes. It was obvious that she was not from the Clans by the way that she moved, smooth movements unknown to Shadowclan, too perfected to be of Riverclan, and not the stumbling steps of clumsy Thunderclanners. Some suspected that she was from the mountains by the way that she spoke, but all of these were just assumptions. Her age and her past were still completely unknown to everyone, including the leader who had accepted her into his Clan.

"I will fight for my Clan—"

"The kits are too young to be under this stress, if this continues their bodies will not be able to handle the emotional pressure and they will—"

"—for my family, for my life! I will _not_—"

"—get sick if you do not return quick. Do you really want your precious children to succumb to sickness now of all times? Prey is already ridiculously low for newleaf, Pinefrost."

"—let Stonestar take away what is precious to me."

"If you cherish it so deeply you should return to it."

The tom's eyes were locked in a cold stare against her's, but he knew that he was not meant to win this battle. Juniperfrost had won since the time that he had begun to cough, no—since the time that he had left his kits and his mate. The Clan needed him, but how could he save them from Stonestar if he did not confront her now? How was he going to protect his family if she was still there to ring terror over them? He was the Shadowclan leader, he was supposed to be the one striking terror in the souls of the other Clans. Not Riverclan, not _Stonestar_.

Breeze-eye was glad to see that he was being taken down by Juniperfrost's words, there was no one else who could have taken him down to this level. Though mentioning his children was a very dirty trick, if it was the only one that would work on him, the she-cat was glad that it had been used. The sickness that was tormenting him could possibly take him anytime, they did not need to lose him any sooner than he was already deteriorating.

"Juniperfrost…" she started out hesitantly, but knew that she had to continue this. "I will go to Stonestar," she ignored the immediate response from Pinestar, his hiss of anger, "I will attempt to settle things before they get too out of hand. If I cannot… ask Starclan for their blessing, _even_ if I am part of the foolish they no longer care for."

"No, no, _no_. I do not allow this. I am your _leader_, you will _listen_ to me. If I am returning, you are returning with me. Breeze-eye… Breeze-eye—Breeze-eye!"

She had already turned, her black tail waving her goodbye to him and Juniperfrost. The medicine cat had firmly placed herself in front of her leader, preventing him from catching up with his deputy. Her form was rolling down the hill that lead to the Riverclan border, to the ones that wanted to kill her. She did not look back at her leader once, did not look back at the medicine cat who was murmuring the prayers that she had implored for. Starclan, perhaps, would look down at this valiant soul. Breeze-eye, their deputy for so many moons.

"May Starclan walk with her," the tortoiseshell grimly spoke aloud, bi-colored eyes narrowed to slits. "Now let us go back to your family, Pinestar. I have given the best try I could for Breeze-eye, her life is up to herself and those above. I hope that they can recognize honor where it deserves to be seen."

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**DISCLAIMER **_!_ The WARRIORS series belongs to Erin Hunter (...well, the people who actually make it...). Characters in this story belong to A-B-D.


	2. CHAPTER ONE

**SEASON**: Newleaf.  
**DAY**: Twenty-six.  
**TIME OF DAY**: Dawn is approaching.  
**HOURS UNTIL DREAM**: Zero.  
**CURRENT LOCATION**: Shadowclan camp, medicine cat's den.

His dream carried him to Starclan's fields with a shiver, like something wet was sliding up his spine. This uncomfortable feeling drew Clearpaw to open his eyes, frosted blue staring out into the clearing that was placed before him. Truly, it looked beautiful in the perpetual moonlight that rained down, shattered by the twist and turn on the forever summer leaves. However, he had not been drawn down here to admire the landscaping, they called him for a real reason.

"Starclan…?" he called out hesitantly, whispery young voice breaking the soothing silence.

"Clearpaw!" a voice cheerfully responded, a figure bounded out from the pine trees that were the clearing Starclan chose for him. "Clearpaw, it has been too long. Really, how have you been?"

The young tom's eyes adjusted to the soft illumination immediately as he turned his gaze to the right where the voice and body were appearing. From the darkness a young she-cat had appeared, his dead older sister who had never passed through apprenticeship. His mother had had a single litter before him, two she-kits in it. One of them, Whitepetal, was still alive, but the other, Snowpaw, was never going to make it to the place where her sister, or even Clearpaw was heading.

"Snowpaw, you look well," he warmly responded, dipping his head with a twitching smile. "Have you some news to share with me?" He waited not for her answer when he immediately asked, "Did Breeze-eye make it up alright?"

There was a toying grin on his sister's face, her bright yellow eyes from their father sparking with that starlight that all Starclanner's owned. He never got tired of staring into one of their eyes, watching those diminutive stars blinking away in their gaze as they stared back at him. Did they regret dieing? Did they stare at him because they wanted to return to the life that he had once had? Was it the dullness in his gaze that they adored the most on him? The starless quality of his pelt? Sometimes their eyes seemed to burn holes in him, the regretful. He wished nothing like that on himself when he came to their ranks.

"Yes, Breeze-eye has been accepted into our ranks. It was only because Juniperfrost begged for her to be able to join us that she joined…" the dead she-cat spoke this line with hesitance, as though that had not exactly been the reason why she was up here. "Though… because Breeze-eye was always so valiant, Starclan had already made a special place for her." She admitted this with a crooked grin, she was clearly happy that the past deputy was allowed into Starclan.

"Weren't you friends with her when you two were apprentices? Whitepetal, too?" the medicine cat apprentice asked with a tilt of his head, inquiry accented by this curious motion. "You all grew up in the same time. What was she? One, two moons older than you?"

"One moon older. We were the best of friends, we still are. I never gave up on her, even if it was a decision as a whole to leave the Clans to kill themselves by the rest of Starclan. I'm sure that every member has someone that they can't let go of, though…"

"Wouldn't you pick Whitepetal to bless then, Snowpaw? Certainly your sister is more important than an old friend."

"…you would think… wouldn't you?"

At this queer remark, Snowpaw picked up the pace that the two were walking at. This jogging meant that they could not talk coherently, their breath rapidly escaping because of the sudden change. Clearpaw was obviously not made for physical activity, leaning hard forward to keep up at the pace which the she-cat thought was relatively slow. He could pace around for herbs, stick his nose in cracks to sniff out the hidden plants, but he simply could not do strenuous physical tasks—he considered jogging a strenuous activity.

So focused on getting his breath out in easy gasps, Clearpaw did not notice that they had separated from the pine forests of his home. Starclan had such vast landscapes that Clearpaw was never sure where they ended and where exactly they started, so the thinning of the already sparse coniferous forest to the wetlands of Riverclan was strange, when he finally noticed it. His eyes blinked a couple of times to completely take in the territory that he had never seen before.

Snowpaw had gotten ahead of him, her lithe white body traveling at a speed unknown to his paws. Was she trying to escape him? Did she plan on leaving him alone in this foreign land? Even in his time as a medicine cat apprentice in the living world he had not gone so far into Riverclan's reeds. There had never been the reason or the need. Besides, Juniperheart was very sure about not trespassing onto enemy territory.

Realizing that he could no longer see or hear Snowpaw, the tom croaked out a hoarse call, "Snowpaw? Where… where are you?"

His throat stuck for a moment, afraid of the unknown that he was currently facing. No one was beside him, his only guide running into the thickening reeds. How could she just leave him out here by himself? He had absolutely no sense of direction in the first place, and with the moon out, there was no telling which way was east or west. Did she expect him to stay here until he woke up? He was frightened half to death already, who knew what kind of panic he would be barreling about in in a couple of moments.

"P-please, Snowpaw. This isn't f-funny," he scrambled over his words, his own white paws touching the ground hesitantly as he pulled himself further into the unknown. "I… I can't do this by myself. I need your help. I need anyone's help. Please…"

Then came his falsetto scream when a form shot out from the bushes directly in front of him. Falling back in surprise, Clearpaw's eyes were wide as he landed on his tail. In front of him stood the deputy that had left their leader twenty-four hours before and had come back to camp dead. A threat, the other Clan had sent her beaten body back as. But now that image was erased clean, her frosted green eyes were sparkling with the soul that had entered the sky. Her dark patterned coat shimmered dimly. She was a new member of Starclan, she had truly been accepted into the skies.

Forgetting his earlier surprise, his fur settled onto his shoulders as he hopped up to greet her. Rubbing his white face against the side of hers in a familiar greeting was a pleasure, the hearing of her own soft purr was relaxing. She was safe.

From the other side appeared Snowpaw, revealing herself with a snorting chuckle at her younger brother's childish display of fear. Her bright dandelion eyes spoke jest as he sent his glares towards her. He approached her with a flick of his tail to her nose, a furrowed brow at the scare that she had put on him. She was still smaller than him, despite her wiser moons. He could still tackle her to the ground and win, no matter what. It was his intention to remind her of this when Breeze-eye intervened, hooking a tail around his neck and tugging him back.

"You scared the fur off my back! I was about to be stuck in a territory I didn't even know," Clearpaw insisted on continuing his fierce glare. Suddenly, though, his sister's eyes dulled.

"We don't have much time, Breeze-eye. We need to hurry," she abruptly turned serious, voice low and full of hidden meanings. "This is why I rushed here before it happened again."

"Oh, so this was what Longwhisker was talking about," Breeze-eye said insightfully, nodding her head gently at the white she-cat before turning to the same colored tom. "Clearpaw, there is something coming that we cannot stop ourselves, we as in Starclan. It comes from the territory that the long-ago generations walked, the one that the Great Journey carried us from."

Clearpaw's eyes grew wide, his whiskers twitched at the shock of the words that came from her mouth. Old territory? What threat?

"In the old skies they walk, they're coming, but they have been stalled by old barriers for a long time. Kept back by the forces of our mountain counterparts. They cannot… we need…."

Breeze-eye's words had become chopped, her lips moved where she continued to recite words, but they were lost to Clearpaw's ears. Every few seconds he could see dark shapes twisting at the edges of his vision, shadows moving closer to covering the entirety of his pupil.

"…discover… learn their traditions… work well with… Clans… depending…"

The darkness was about to close off his last peek of her, crawling like tiny insects covering a rotting corpse. He had caught her glimpses of phrases, but taken together they made little sense in his current state of mind. She was disappearing, Snowpaw was disappearing, _Starclan_ was disappearing. The last visible thing he saw was one menacing sneer as they shadows came over, and sleep faded to wakefulness.

__________________

**TIME OF DAY**: Mid-day.  
**HOURS UNTIL GATHERING:** Thirty.  
**CURRENT LOCATION**: Shadowclan territory, border between Shadowclan and Thunderclan.

"It was really weird, Juniperfrost, it was like something was interfering with Starclan," the concept brought a shiver to the spine of the young tom. Twice in one day he was getting the willies, first his transfer from reality to Starclan and now thinking about that thing that had happened when he was trying to listen to Breeze-eye. "It began really soon after she started telling me all the important stuff, too."

His mentor had brought him out of camp not to talk about the dream that he was currently engrossed in, but to gather herbs, and so far he had not even glanced at the surrounding grounds. He was intensely interested in what Juniperfrost thought of his odd coincidence, but she had yet to respond to him with anything but a curt nod. Did she know something that he didn't? And was she not willing to share with him that knowledge? She just kept sniffing about the ground for the supplies they needed, occasionally glancing up at the overcast sky. Nothing, not a word.

Was the weather really that much more interesting in the news that he had? Did she really not care?

"Juniperfrost! C'mon, this is serious. What if something bad is happening to Starclan? What if…" he trailed off, hoping that she would catch on, tell him something.

She turned on him, her different colored irises not blinking as they rested on his form. They were full of wisdom—and restraint. She was keeping something from him and he knew it, that being what was bothering him now. Not that she would not respond, for if she had no plausible answer, then what was the use of throwing back theories? But she knew, she just would not tell. Or did Starclan swear her to secrecy? Either way, as she turned back to her herbs after that stare, Clearpaw knew that something certainly was up.

"Did Breeze-eye make it to them?"

Snow paws scattered a couple of leaves at the sudden questioning of the Starclan situation, though indirect and possibly able to lead to other things, "Yes. She was the one that told me that cut off warning. I think she was warning me about the things that were invading my—"

"Oh? Really? You think?" her voice was hard, annoyed. "Do not think to hardly over it, small one. All will come clear at the Gathering tomorrow night."

With his mouth agape, Clearpaw turned on his mentor in surprise. Was she seriously saying that the Clans would go through with the Gathering? Under what pretense? Had Starclan visited the leaders in their dreams and instructed them to go?

"I will be the one advising Pinestar on going to the gathering, such as with the other medicine cats. It is not only you who have received words from the stars," her voice, cryptic as it always was, spoke of the secrets that only true medicine cats knew of. "Now, be worried with finding these herbs. If we do not, suffer we will from the next battle that occurs on our land, to our Clan mates."

Clearpaw's lips pursed at this suggestion, but this was all that he could do. If he questioned the older she-cat, she would not budge in her stubbornness. He knew of her strength from other days, she never told things straight, unless they were techniques for healing patients. Then she spoke precisely what was meant, detailing over little things. Everything else was vague, he had a hard time often trying to interpret her greetings.

Catching the scent of a group of juniper berries, the white tom's paws carried him to their resting place. On the way, his thoughts carried him across the dream that he had experienced the night before. Unlike other memories of dream, his Starclan ones often stuck with him for entire weeks. Anything else slipped away as soon as it had come. As he sifted through the dream, for clues, for something, he grabbed the juniper bears with his paws. Something… something…

"Oh! Juniperfrost! Do you know who _Longwhisker_ is?"

"He used to be a Windclan warrior, but he died in the battle against the Tribe and sun-drown place cats. You are to young to remember him, he was well known in his time though," she commented this with a nod of her head, padding over to inspect the berries that he had picked. "Why do you question about him? Did they speak of him?"

"Snowpaw was speaking of rushing over here, and then Breeze-eye said 'oh, so this was what Longwhisker was talking about'. Do you think that more cats had the same dream as I did? Such as… Riverclan's only Windclan descendant, Rabbitfoot?" Clearpaw inquired, tilting his head in question of this. If more had this dream, then perhaps something was happening to the Clans as a whole.

Juniperfrost narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, her lips once more tightening to a line. It was obvious that she was not excited that he had made this connection. But, wouldn't this, in the end, help them figure out what Starclan had been talking about? Perhaps the others who had been approached caught different bits, the bits that he had not been able to hear. If they put them together, they would realize what exactly was happening!

"You will see at the Gathering," the she-cat repeated icily, turning on her heel. "Collect those berries and let us return to camp."

"Yes… Juniperfrost…" Clearpaw said, watching her depart. What was agitating her today?

__________________

**CURRENT LOCATION**: Shadowclan camp.

Returning to the camp was in silence, and they parted ways immediately after putting the freshly found herbs in their respective piles. Newleaf was kind enough to bring them these herbs, but it had also brought various problems. Though he had not been alive for other springs, he knew that this was the first time that such problems had risen in the Clans.

_All because of that single kit… and it wasn't even their problem! What did they even call it anyway? If anything, they should call it Problemkit…_

"Clearpaw, you're back," a girlish called for his attention, he turned and saw his kithood friend Fawnpaw approaching him. "Is everything alright with Juniperfrost? I saw her approaching Pinestar's den with this creepy-serious look on her face." The light tabby blinked in confusion, the medicine cat apprentice didn't know what to tell her.

"I… don't know, really," he tried, his brows pressing together as he lied. "Maybe she just wanted to advise him on something, tell him something about new herbs?"

"You really can't lie, can you Clearpaw?" she cheerfully responded, pressing her nose to her cheek in her usual sisterly affection. "But, if you really don't want to tell me, I won't ask. Oh! Nightkit and Snowkit were asking about you, too. Come with me!"

Lashing her tail side to side, the young she-cat nudged her friend in the direction of the nursery. The two kits had turned five moons just recently, and now they were anxious as ever to retreat from their den. He knew that they desperately wanted to be apprentices as he had when he was a kitten, but he was not eager to become medicine cat as Fawnpaw was anxious to become a warrior. He could live forever as a 'paw, still unsure of the ability he would have as a medicine cat, the one and only medicine cat.

Fawnpaw gestured to him to stop for a moment, allowing her to crawl into the nursery. The bush which they had made into the queen's area was low hanging, not quite so easy for anyone to get into. Perhaps they were hoping that when another Clan would attack they would not notice the brush and move past, leaving the kits and queens to themselves.

"Oh, I'm sorry Toadleap!" the young she-cat squeaked, pushing back out of the nursery as the broad-shouldered warrior came out.

Dark coat rippling in the gloom of the Shadowclan camp—this smoggy feel never really left, but the cats of Shadowclan were born to it, and so used to it—a small smile on his lips, "It's fine, Fawnpaw. Remember to meet me near the lake later today, near the Thunderclan border."

"Ah, yes," she agreed, dipping her head in embarrassment as he departed.

Watching his back as he left for a second, the younger tom shook his head with an amused smile on his lips, "Still planning to snatch him away from his ever so loving mate, Fawnpaw?" A chuckle escaped at the same moment, and the young she-cat turned to him with a twitching scowl.

"He'll come to love me, you'll see," she said bluntly before returning to her struggle to call the kits out of their nursery.

Wondering if this slight obsession with his friend's mentor would ever really fade, Clearpaw sighed with that troubled smile on his lips. It seemed nice to think of such small matters compared to the haunting Starclan warning that he had not quite received. Which brought him back to his annoyance at Juniperfrost for not letting him in on the ways of the stars. Struggling with this annoyance, Clearpaw's attention was redirected by the scampering paws of two kits coming from the nursery with his friend crawling out behind them.

"Clearpaw! Snowkit has something she'd like to ask you," Nightkit immediately called out, her smiling green eyes calling for his complete attention.

Abandoning his earlier thoughts, Clearpaw's curiosity took more of an interest in what the she-kit had to saw. Her name was given to her because she appeared similar to his dead older sister, the one who gave birth to her being his aunt. So, what did the young one want then? Was she going to ask him something about his apprenticeship or ask him to take them out of camp? He tilted his head quietly to the side, waiting for the request or question she had wanted him to answer.

"Well, uh…" one of her paws was placed on top of the other way, tail shifting nervously, "you speak to the cats of Starclan, right Clearpaw?"

Knowing that she was the kitten who often had a hard time getting things out, Clearpaw did not chastise her for her slowness. "Yes, I do."

Looking up at him with large brown eyes, Snowkit's voice suddenly seemed different, "Snowpaw came to me. She said to tell you something, I… I can't remember it clearly. But… at the Gathering, something… something is going to happen. She—_she_ said so."

Clearpaw's shoulder fur stood on end, surprised by the things that the young she-kit before him was talking about. Snowpaw had entered her dream right after his? Was it that important that she had to get another medium to tell him what was wrong. And the one that she chose did not even remember!

"Are you sure that you don't know anything else? Snowkit?" his eyes narrowed, he was putting pressure on the poor thing. "You don't know anything else?"

"I-I don't, I-I s-swear," she told him, near weeping.

Fawnpaw stared at him, mystified. Her gaze did not shift as she requested that they return to their mother, the once excited Nightkit patiently drawing her sister to her side before they ran back to the warmth of the nursery. Watching them go, Clearpaw's tail twitched, he could feel his muscles tremor. Something was happening at the Gathering. First Juniperfrost speaking of it and now Snowpaw coming to the one who shared her name. Certainly, certainly something was going to happen!

"What did she mean, Clearpaw? The Gathering?" the light brown tabby looked skeptical. "We haven't heard talk of a Gathering since this whole thing started, certainly she was—"

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Smooth Stone!" Pinestar's voice shook them, they turned at the same time with their shoulders brushing. "Tomorrow is the night of the Gathering, we shall be attending…" A rasping cough followed his speech, but he continued on with those who were invited.

Near the side of the Smooth Stone Clearpaw saw his mentor slipping towards their den. She knew something.  
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**DISCLAIMER **_!_ The WARRIORS series belongs to Erin Hunter (...well, the people who actually make it...). Characters in this story belong to A-B-D.


	3. CHAPTER TWO

**SEASON:** Twenty-seven.  
**TIME OF DAY**: Midnight.  
**HOURS UNTIL GATHERING**: Zero.  
**CURRENT LOCATION**: The Gathering Island.

"Murderers!"

The first thing that Clearpaw heard when he crawled across the log was his own Clan shouting cruel words at Riverclan, who was coming in at the same time. Moon already clouded, stars dim in the sky, as though reluctant to shine down on those below. Were they also called here mysteriously? Did only a certain amount of Starclan cats say that this would be a set time? He wondered if there was a council of Starclan instead of them all deciding on things as a whole… but, this was not the time. For now he had to follow his mentor to the rest of the medicine cats, there he would be safe from the crawling eyes.

White stark against the duller colors of the other Clan's, he was an obvious traveler beside his dark patterned mentor as well. He would be easily spotted if anyone wished to spot him, he being one of the only completely snow-colored cats in all of the Clans and such, though Whitepetal also took that prize. Hopefully no one would mistake him for her, he certainly did not want to be approached as if he were the deputy of Shadowclan.

However, when he glanced about for her bright form, he was drawn immediately to a same colored coat, but certainly not of Whitepetal. She was thin and strict, rare to show a smile, but this one was a male, thick-boned and grinning like a dork. He was surrounded by fellow felines, so mixed their smell that he could not determine if they were all from the same Clan or if he had fans from the other Clans. But, really, what Thunderclan cat could stand close to a Riverclan one at this time?

Incapable of turning his gaze away, so perplexed by this tom, Clearpaw ended up running face first into a warm side, an unfamiliar side. "Hey! Shadowclanner, get out of my fur," it spat, teeth indicating threat as he gazed up at the striped face. Yellow eyes were burning holes in him. "I don't associate with murderers."

Frozen not with fear, he had heard plenty of these kind of threats before, Clearpaw could not find the strength to move. Rather, he did not _want_ to. There was some kind of pull towards this fierce ex-Windclanner, something cementing his paws to the ground. Why couldn't he move? Who was… Abruptly, Clearpaw jerked his head from the ginger tom in front of him to the sky above. Starclan? Was this…?

"I…" when he angled his head back to normal level, slightly inclined to look at the taller tabby, Clearpaw was at a loss for words.

"Don't do it again, kit,' was the tabby's departing words, leaving Clearpaw with his mouth agape.

That connection was undeniable, but did the other not feel it? He had not acted at all surprised, which he should have if he had really felt it. Then again… this was Rabbitfoot they were talking about, perhaps because of what had happened to his Clan he no longer believed in Starclan for they had showed Windclan no mercy.

The orange striped tom padded away to join a Riverclan she-cat, a small smile on his face as he approached. So, he did have some friends in his surrogate Clan? Known for being overly curious and with constant questions, not to mention this strange attraction to the other tom's life, it was very hard for Clearpaw to keep from eavesdropping on the other male. Incredibly hard.

Luckily, the voice of Juniperfrost called him back from the frustrating urge to approach Rabbitfoot, "Clearpaw, come here quick. Ravenwing has a new apprentice and I wish you to greet her."

Tearing his gaze from the conversing Riverclanners—the two had been joined by an older she-cat who's name escaped him and the deputy, Raggedear—and turned to look behind him. His ear flick in recognition for her word, finding it hard to place his paws in any direction then their current. But, if his mentor called him, she meant it. It would be best if he turned to the she-cat and who ever now before his teacher scolded him verbally.

His soft blue gaze swept across the circled cats, all of the medicine cats from each Clan settling into their normal positions. It was no surprise that they were there, and seemingly comfortable to be there. It had to be all of those full-time healers that convinced their respective homes to come in the first place.

Nearest to his mentor, smiling cheerfully in his direction, was the youngest medicine cat, Gingerpatch. She was known to gossip, something that Juniperfrost warned him of on many occasions. Tell her one thing and the story was twisted in seconds, spreading like wild fire across the entire Gathering. He carefully kept his mouth shut the first time that he had met her, which was only a moon earlier. She did not seem any different now, short fur calm, but ragged; large green eyes blinked at him, unchanging. He was truly surprised at her normality.

"Good evening, Clearpaw. Excited for the Gathering, it really is only your second," she commented, leaning her head against Juniperfrost's shoulder, who made a rare friendly move and allowed it.

Beside her was the supposed oldest medicine cat (no one actually knew how old Juniperfrost was, but her action often betrayed the suggestion that she was old), Ravenwing. His dark fur was hard to see in the clouded sky, but there were still some glistening patches of silver able to been see at the edges of his muzzle. It was about time that he had taken on an apprentice, but he was a stubborn old tom. On their first meeting, Ravenwing had said that he was not fit to become a medicine cat apprentice, but he proved him wrong by staying in thus far. He would have to continue to prove the arrogant aged cat incorrect.

"Greetings," he scoffed out, blinking slowly at him with his blank golden eyes. "Fine evening."

After Clearpaw's curt nod in the elder-aged feline's direction, his blue eyes turned to the last cat in the circle, Ravenwing's apprentice. So, this girl was more capable than he was in healing? Her small frame was common in their world, his was the same, but her wide green eyes caught him off guard. They were inquisitive, almost to the point that he felt like he was being pushed back at their intensity.

"Hello, Clearpaw," her voice trickled out, a breeze on the summer days he had yet to experience. "Is this your second Gathering? My second as well, but this one seems very… tense."

"Second…?" he inquired, padding to her side with confusion. "Haven't you just become a medicine cat apprentice?"

"I was a warrior apprentice before this," she admitted, accompanied by a twitch of her ear as he sat at her side, pulling his tail across his paws. "But… Ravenwing received a dream in which they recommended me to train under him, and I know that you _know_ how Ravenwing can be. He probably would have never trained an apprentice unless instructed to."

"I have to agree with that," Clearpaw concurred, a small chuckle released from his lips. "But… did you _want_ to become a medicine cat, or was this all against your will?"

It was unnecessary pressure, he knew this, but it was something that he thought had to be asked. He wanted nothing to do with someone who had no admiration for the ways of medicine cats, someone who was only here because of the things that were forced on them. Yet, he knew that that was how some of the greatest Clan doctors were made, but still felt a slight annoyance towards them. He had known that he wanted to be in this position since he could logically pull things together. What had this apprentice wanted?

Upon observation, he noticed that her mouth was drawn to the beginnings of a frown now, as though reflecting on how she had been forced to become a medicine cat apprentice, forced to abandon her dreams to become a warrior. That was what Clearpaw predicted from her current stance, also taking a large hint from the dulling of her grass green orbs. Certainly she was a subject to unnatural positioning, the ways of their ancestors were mysterious and sometimes bluntly cruel.

"I wasn't the one who decided my fate," she finally replied, paws shifting her weight. "But I know there is a reason they took me from my path to become a warrior, and for this I honor the opportunity given to me."

Clearpaw had begun to wince at the first thing she had said, half closing his eyes at the impact of her words. When she continued, however, not a single hitch in her voice, he suddenly regretted his earlier feelings. Though she did not choose it, the she-cat was going to give it her all to be the medicine cat that she could be, even while watching other's become the rank that she had wished. His mistrust turned to faint admiration in moments, perhaps there was some help from her warm and comforting tone, he felt like he could really… really know her from it.

"I hope that we can continue to meet like this for many moons," he smiled, hoping that she would forgive him for earlier assumptions.

She very brightly returned that grin, fully into their growth of friendship, "As do I."

The tom was grateful that she forgave him so easily, but what else did he expect of a medicine cat? They were all very trusting and kind, easy to forgive. He knew that from experience, though there were times when his anger lasted him days. His frustrations often got the best of him and he would act out, but only under the most annoying of conditions. Hadn't it been just a couple of seconds ago that he had to physically pull himself from the spot to keep from running after that rabbit-brained Rabbitfoot? He sometimes wondered what it would be like if he had _no_ self-control.

Turning his head, about to say something more to his audience of one, Clearpaw's attention was immediately dissolved when the cry to begin the Gathering was called from the Great Oak. On some of the lower branches stood their leaders, only three since the destruction of Windclan, Stonestar of Riverclan, Tigerstar of Thunderclan, and finally Pinestar of Shadowclan. Tension seemed to coat the air between them, all stepping as far away as possible from each other. They obviously were agitated, but could not refuse the call from Starclan, who still hid the moon from their view.

At lower branches were the deputies: Raggedear, Berryheart, and Whitepetal. From Riverclan, Thunderclan, and Shadowclan respectively. They did not seem half as agitated, the newest deputy even making conversation with the off-white she-cat of Thunderclan. Both of them seemed to be enjoying themselves, while Raggedear was left to look peeved.

Leaders silent, as if unsure to say, a murmur picked up in the surrounding crowd. A she-cat nearing elders age at the right of the medicine cat congregation whispered furiously to her companion, "Starclan is angry with us already, why do we go further to disrespect them by coming here?"

"Those crazy medicine cats called us out here, I saw Tigerstar come out of his den to announce this ridiculous meeting only after Gingerpatch came and went from his company," another coarsely spoke in the ear of their neighbor.

"The minds of the Clans have been corrupted," Juniperfrost mutured between clenched teeth. "No wonder Starclan does not wish to save them. I wonder why they kept watching them from the beginning."

Clearpaw's wide eyes turned on his mentor who had never spoken so roughly about anything before. She had been cold, but she had never been cruel to the ancestors that had taken her in. She obviously still revered them, but… did she not believe in the living any longer?

"Be patient, Juniperfrost, your fur is getting ruffled," Gingerpatch's girlish tone invaded the seriousness, her head still placed in that position on the Shadowclannner's shoulder. "Starclan will show the Clans soon enough…" Clearpaw did not miss how her eyes traveled to him, emerald stare filled with mischief. She knew something, too!

"Tell me—"

"Close your trap, you kit. Tigerstar is going to speak," Ravenwing cut into his speech, fierce gaze forcing the young tom to curl back to himself. He hated when the elderly tom was so snappy.

"Cats of all Clans, listen here! We were called to have this Gathering for a reason (though one unknown to us, truthfully) and so we will conduct it like it is a normal Gathering. Forget the shadows that cross the moon, listen to us," the deep rumble of the Thunderclan leader invaded the clearing, hushed murmurs were officially dead. "I will begin, if this is alright with Stonestar and Pinestar?"

It was strange to see Tigerstar issuing such courtesy, but the pressure of the medicine cat's must have been intense. Even Clearpaw could see the stare that Gingerpatch was pulling on her leader from the corner of his eye. This had to be done.

Two nods and Tigerstar was standing straight, regal in his pose, "Thunderclan has been surviving well in the last moon despite the recent attacks. Two of our warriors are dead, but three apprentices became warriors in that time. We shall honor the lives of Oakleaf and Quailwing, and in doing so welcome Ospreyfeather, Birchtail, and Hawkstrike to our ranks." Pausing for a moment to look down at his new warriors, a small smile was on the leader's lips as everyone directed their attention to the three new warriors who sat close together. Clearpaw could not fight the grin coming to his face, they looked so _proud_. "Prey is running as well as it has ever been. That is all for Thunderclan…"

Slouching against the trunk, Tigerstar motioned for either of the other leaders to take his place in the forefront of the Gathering affairs. Next to pop up was Pinestar, the smallest of the three cats on the tree. His sickness only made him more frail.

"Shadowclan has seen a very important death in this last moon, only two nights earlier our deputy, Breeze-eye passed on, unfortunately," his voice came out dry, followed by a racking cough. The other leaders pulled away, disgusted. "We have taken Whitepetal as our next deputy, she has been a fine warrior and so the best deputy we could have."

The observing medicine cat looked down at the branch below, Whitepetal had perked from her new friend, the deputy of Thunderclan, and looked rather proud. His older sister, deputy… it wasn't hard to imagine, she had always been strict and dutiful.

"Prey is… scarce, as always," Pinestar struggled to put out, concealing another cough with a touch of his tail to his lips. "But we manage as we have in the past. Many more seasons Shadowclan will see, we hope. No warriors have become part of the dead, nor have apprentices become warriors. This is all we can share with our fellow Clans. Stonestar?"

Turning her head up expectantly, the most youthful and ambitious leader took the stage. She had a presence which no cat could ignore, and the Shadowclanners that had been harshly spitting comments about how Riverclan had murdered their deputy were cut down when she came forth. Her dark gray coat was almost as invisible as Pinestar's had been in the darkness.

"Riverclan has been doing beautifully. Fish are swimming into our paws, water voles have been lazy and stupid this last moon, dozily coming from the reeds as if under the spell of newleaf," even in the dim, Clearpaw swore that he could see the vicious grin of victory from the she-cat. Behind him he heard Hazelpaw sigh, an accompaniment to Ravenwing's obnoxious snort. "Only one death has befallen us, much alike to Shadowclan. In a skirmish with Thunderclan we lost Ripplepaw, an apprentice on the verge of becoming a warrior."

At this statement there was a jerk of Stonestar's head in the direction of Tigerstar, accusing blue eyes searching him for apologies. They were met back with stoic eyes of the same color, a competition for the first to speak. And Stonestar, if afraid to openly press him for apologies, sniffed and turned back to the crowd.

"Our queen, Riverleaf, is taking great care of her kitten who she has yet to name. He looks very much like his…" she closed her eyes before making the comment, "father. We are hoping to keep him, even under the circumstances of his appearance."

There was a hiss in the crowd from the upset Thunderclanners, disturbed from the peace of the Gathering by the mention of the thing they were so foolishly warring over. Shadowclanners remained silent, for even if this was not their battle, they were still involved. Riverclanners looked smug, except for the medicine cats, who looked overtly distressed.

"Why?" Tigerstar suddenly hissed out. "Why do you bring up that topic here? A Gathering is meant to be a time of peace, Stonestar, not the place to start an unnecessary fight."

"Starclan no longer even looks at us, Tigerstar, why should we listen to those fools of medicine cats and remain peaceful? Let this place be soaked with our blood, Starclan can do nothing!"

"What? What have you just said? Have you lost your mind, Stonestar? This is not a place for battle! Don't you ever insult Starclan or our medicine cats _ever again_. And if you thought them so ridiculous, then why, may I ask, did you listen to them? For the chance to start unneeded conflict?"

"You're so blind! The medicine cats brought us here to start warfare! Can you not see that? Starclan has not given us its blessing, look at the moon! These oh so trusted connections to Starclan wish us to begin a war to prove who is the best. They want us all to die."

Everyone could feel the waves of tension coming from the Great Oak, the rest of the cats hesitantly shifting from one side of their weight to another. Even the Riverclan cats seemed uncomfortable, had they really come here for war? Or was Stonestar declaring a impromptu skirmish that even her Clan was unsure of? The rest of them still believe in their warrior ancestors, this was clear to his eyes. But Stonestar had obviously abandoned them. What was this chaos in her mind?

"Do not listen to her…" Juniperfrost's voice shook as it came out. "Cats of the Clans, do not listen to this she-cat! Her mind has been tainted by what is coming! She is mad!"

All attention was drawn to the medicine cats immediately, whipping of heads, a snarl from the Riverclan leader. Had she not expected at least one of the medicine cats to stand up for themselves? They should have at least known that his mentor of all cats would not stay silent. She was strong-minded and unafraid to show it. Gingerpatch frowned from where her head continued to rest on her friend's shoulder.

"Are you all going to choose to listen to this _outsider_ over me? She wasn't even born to the Clans, why should you listen to her. I doubt she even has a real connection to Starclan. She's been lying to us all," the dark gray she-cat crowed out, fiercely defending herself by attempting to throw Juniperfrost to the foxes. "She was probably the one that told all of the medicine cats to tell us leaders to hold this ridiculous thing. Out of all of them, she is the one that wants us defeated the most.'

"I would suggest that you keep your mouth shut, Stonestar," Pinestar's feeble voice croaked out. "I have been working beside Juniperfrost for moons and you have only seen her one time each of those moons. Do you even know what you are saying? I agree with my medicine cat, this she-cat's mind has turned to crow food. She is acting ridiculous now."

At this declaration, the whole site became quiet at once. Stonestar was seething, but in such madness she could not release any words. Tigerstar was gazing at Pinestar in thanks, for if he had been the one to speak it would have gotten much worse, Clearpaw felt as though that was what he was trying to say through the stare. But still, how long could this last?

"I…" Stonestar started, and then continued, "I will not be ridiculed by someone like you, Pinestar. You probably couldn't even get here by yourself. You're weak, you're _dieing_. If you had come that night instead of Breeze-eye we wouldn't even been here together."

Broken gasps came about the clearing at this open threat, Clearpaw's eyebrow twitched. Pinestar had allowed Breeze-eye go to Riverclan territory on her own when it had been he who was called? Or had she insisted? The latter seemed the most likely, but there was still the other option. He wanted to believe in this leader, but the tom suddenly looked tired.

"She came to stop your further intrusion into our territory against my will. I was going to come, she thought that it would be best if I lived. For my family," he responded, repeating the argument that she had Juniperfrost attack him with nights before. "I did not send her there of my own accord. And you did not have to kill her, Stonestar. You killed her, I did not."

Clearpaw turned from the feud for a second to glance back at Juniperfrost, he knew that she had been there the night that Breeze-eye had kept their leader from harm. The tortoiseshell had an exasperated look on her face, she knew that this argument was invalid. Either way, Stonestar was going to start something up and the Clans would shed blood on the grounds of a peace treaty.

So then what, what did Starclan want him to come to this Gathering so desperately for? Yes, he would have come at an earlier time, but truly, what was the point? Why did they hold this? To start a war? And even that, why was he so involved in it? It was painfully frustrating that he didn't know _anything_.

"Are you saying that I was the one who dealt the blow, Pinestar? Are you calling me a murderer?" the Riverclan leader shot back, angry.

"Your warriors brought her to our border, I'm expecting that their leader would be the one who finished her off," he patiently retorted, cool eyes focused on her raging form. "Or are you allowing one of your warriors take the blame?"

"Stop! Stop this right now!"

Everyone's head turned once more, and there stood Rabbitfoot, bristling in the dim lighting. His head was angled back to look at the leaders, paws struggling to remain on the ground.

"Starclan does not wish for this! They…" he stopped abruptly, but this caught Clearpaw's attention. That connection, he had most definitely felt it before, was back. It was a compelling thought to second the opinion issued from the ex-Windclanner.

"They came to me as well," a voice, smoother and more feminine floated from farther up. "They do not wish for this…"

Clearpaw's head twisted to the side to see who the next one spoke and he saw Berryheart half-standing from her position on a lower branch. He was surprised, but he felt the tug to her as well, this was not ignorable. There was another, to the left instead of to the right, where his fur begged to be next to Rabbitfur, a third pull.

"I guess it wasn't my imagination, then…" a tom's voice slipped out against the silence. "I too received a message from Starclan."

The medicine cat apprentice tilted his head to the side to gaze upon the burly tom known as Ashrain, a well respected and famous tom in Riverclan. He had led a group of cats during the battle in the past leaf-fall that had kept off a good chunk of the ocean cats. He was battle scarred now, the sight of him bringing to mind many moons and many battles.

And suddenly his words came out against his will, reporting to the Clans that he too had received these warnings, "Starclan came to me as well… spoke of… danger."

His paws drew him upwards, pushing him forward, and through his peripheral vision he could see the other cats drawing closer to the Great Oak as well. Berryheart had hopped down, but stood at the trunk, as if waiting for them.

Behind him he heard the new medicine cat apprentice sputter out something to her mentor, "_Him_? _He_ was the white cat in my dream? Ravenwing, Gingerpatch… _Juniperfrost_…. No. Please, no. He can't, he… he won't make it. Please don't."

"This is the will of Starclan…" Juniperfrost's breathed out, as if sorrowful for even speaking. "We cannot betray their will."

"But he's so young! Juniperfrost!" she cried out, he could not see her duck her head into her chest trying to contain her struggling breaths. "He won't make it, he won't make it."

Clearpaw could hear her, but he found that he did not care about what she was saying. What was she saying anyway, something about how he wouldn't survive what was coming up? But… he didn't care, he just wanted to stand beside those that were calling him. These were cats chosen by Starclan, these were felines that he would walk beside for moons to come, and he _knew_ that. There was a journey like the days of the old, generations of peace had faded. They would have to discover what Starclan wished them to find, even at the risk of their lives.

As the four of them came together, shoulders so close that he was brushing against Rabbitfoot and Ashrain. The four of them stared at each other, unblinking as they contemplated what had happened in their dreams and what was to come. How would this turn out? How would they suit each other on their travels? Where were they heading for.

"Look…" he heard the soft cry of his mentor behind him, and his eyes blinked up at the new light from above. Starclan had released the moon from its cloud. "Go… now."

Berryheart suddenly took the lead, bounding away from beneath the tree, not turning back as the cats parted themselves to let her through. Next went Rabbitfoot, ginger form splashed with silver, and then Ashrain, glowing like he was part of Starclan himself. Clearpaw looked at the congregation of medicine cats for one moment, staring at his mentor and then at the other apprentice. He had to leave.

"I will come back," he called to that shaking girl, departing then in a swift turn of his heel.

Where had Starclan wanted them to go, and to what expense would they complete this task that they were given? Clearpaw could not think straight as he followed the fading forms of his other companions, only noting that the moon had been covered again.

Why had he been chosen?  
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**DISCLAIMER **_!_ The WARRIORS series belongs to Erin Hunter (...well, the people who actually make it...). Characters in this story belong to A-B-D.


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